Queen’s cousin marries in first gay royal wedding

Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten has married in a low-key ceremony that marks the first-ever gay royal wedding.

Lord Ivar Mountbatten, 55, was previously married to a woman but opened up about his sexuality in 2016 after a decades-long struggle.

Mountbatten has now become the first known member of the queen’s extended family to enter a same-sex marriage, though he is not regarded as an official member of the royal family.

He tied the knot on Saturday to James Coyle, an airline cabin manager who was by his side when he revealed he was gay.

In a touching move, Mountbatten was given away by his ex-wife, Penelope Thompson, with whom he has three children, Ella, Alix, and Luli.

Contrary to the pomp and ceremony of Princess Eugenie’s upcoming wedding, the Daily Mail reports that Mountbatten tied the knot in a ceremony attended by just 60 guests in the private chapel at Bridwell Park, his family home.

Mountbatten and Coyle wore matching velvet smoking jackets as they exchanged their vows and rings, proudly declaring their love for each other.

Though Princess Margaret and Prince Edward attended his wedding to Thompson in 1994, no members of the royal family were present to witness Mountbatten’s second wedding.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, sent congratulations to the happy couple (Victoria Jones/Getty Images)

The Mail reports that Prince Edward, the queen’s youngest son, sent congratulations ahead of the ceremony, but he and wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, were unable to attend due to a diary clash.

• Nov 29

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian